Things I Learned About My Dad: Humorous and Heartfelt Essays, edited by the creator ofwww.dooce.com

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Compiled by Heather B. Armstrong, award-winning publisher and uber-mistress of the phenomenally popular dooce.com, this hilarious and heartwarming celebration of "everything dad" features original stories from some of the country's most celebrated bloggers, including Alice Bradley (Finslippy) Doug French (Laid Off Dad), Maggie Mason (Mighty Girl), Matthew Baldwin (Defective Yeti), Sarah Brown (Que Sera Sera), and more.

From a new father's comparison of pregnancy to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, to a mother's story of bravely surviving a husband-son infatuation with Star Wars, to the mini triumphs and tragedies of toddlerhood, this book provides a unique, no-holds-barred glimpse into the quirks and candid moments of modern dads.

Whether we relish or fear growing up to be like our fathers...whether we've inherited his nose, sense of humor, or entire value system, our dads loom large in who we are and the choices we make. Things I Learned about my Dad in Therapy touches upon the many joys and discoveries of fatherhood, one essay at a time.

Customer Reviews: Read 23 more reviews...

2 out of 5 stars

Please, stop the dooce worship April 30, 2008
74 out of 325 found this review helpful

I got this book from a neighbor yesterday (she insisted) and read most of it today. It's OK -- not great, not horrible, with some sentimental nuggets here and there -- but what is so annoying is how shameless Armstrong is in promoting herself (both on her vapid website and in this book). For the past week her blog, which my neighbor follows like the Bible, has involved nothing but announcements of newspaper articles and television interviews about her, complete with dates and times so all of America can tune in. And this book is just another example of that. Hello -- she did not write 95% of this book -- she EDITED a collection of essays that others wrote. For everyone to call it "her book" and to join in the dooce frenzy by running to their bookstore is crazy. Do you know how much work it takes to edit a bunch of 2-3 page essays? Not much. My nephew's third-grade class did a similar collection last year, and it was about on the level of this book, sweet and harmless, but then, he's only 9 years old. Overall - a bland, mediocre book that is vastly over-hyped, like everything else involving this bizarre woman, who really seems to have some type of narcisstic personality issues.

1 out of 5 stars

Funny Editor but Poor Writers April 30, 2008
64 out of 114 found this review helpful

If you plan to read this book about fathers, expecting it to be funny and filled with Heather Armstrong's brand of humor, then you will be very disappointed. Of the 17 essays in this book only 2 were written by Ms. Armstrong.

Unfortunately the other 15 essays were collected from obscure blog writers that she knows and those essays are unpolished amateur works, reminiscent of high school writing. The essays are neither mawkish nor humorous; at best they are bland, and frankly they are just plain dull. I ended up skimming through each essay and couldn't find anything well written enough to hold my attention.

Ms. Armstrong's website, [...], is well known as being a showcase for her caustic humor. Go there if you are looking for something funny to read or good writing in general.

5 out of 5 stars

Heartfelt and real April 30, 2008
54 out of 76 found this review helpful

I've been a reader of Heather's for years and have enjoyed her work immensely. I have appreciated her heartfelt and honest approach to parenting, life, and cabbage.

I also enjoyed this book and the essays contained within. It's thoughtful, honest, and funny. What a great father's day gift for her dad, and mine.

3 out of 5 stars

some essays are better than others May 2, 2008
41 out of 45 found this review helpful

I'll admit to be intrigued by the concept of this book: a collection of essays by different bloggers on the topic of fathers (not necessarily fatherhood, per se) that was then edited by Heather Armstrong.

After having read it, I'll also admit that I found it uneven, probably because the writers all have such unique voices and I am not a fan of each and every person included in the book. My favorite essay is by Doug French of Laid Off Dad fame and for that essay alone I would encourage others to purchase (or at the very least, read) this book. The letter to his sons on the eve of his divorce is incredibly moving.

There were several other essays that were quite well written as well and others that just did not resonate with me. Essentially, if you enjoy reading certain blogs, then you will enjoy reading the longer essays by the authors of those blogs.

3 out of 5 stars

Pretty enjoyable read. May 2, 2008
32 out of 37 found this review helpful

I think, overall, this was an enjoyable book. It wasn't meant to change the world, and it didn't, but I was able to bring out at least one chuckle or smile from myself with every essay. I'm familiar with the editor's website and by association, the small little circle of bloggers that seem to make up the authorship of this book. As on the web, I enjoy some more than others, and so a reader looking to buy this book may wish to peruse some of the blogs first before committing to the book to get a feel for what it will be like. On the negative side, this group of essays seems to be written in a way that suggests the reader should be silently impressed by the hip, modern turn of the phrases and the intelligentsia-ironica-sarcastica tone so prevalent in their writing. And yet, to their credit, sometimes the authors nail a thought or a sentence just so and the otherwise heavy-handed affectation can be forgiven. The essays read and feel like lengthy blog entries, which is to be expected since the authors all dabble in that genre. This isn't a criticism, though - more an observation that it is difficult for me to raise the authors above the title of blogger. Perhaps because some pieces have that unfinished, unpolished feel of a blog post. But as I said above, all in all, this is an enjoyable read and a fine effort.

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